Dark Zexal
by Zeladious
Summary: On every busy days of school, comes to a Sunday. But when Yuma starts to have nightmares, with Astral unable to do anything about it, a girl meeting changes both of their lives, as the battle of dark and light arrives, with something much more sinister looming all, without anyone expecting it whole.


It was daylight, as Yuma got ready for school in a hurried usual manner of his.

'I'm late, I'm terribly late!'

After he got changed, got his _bento_ from his grandmother, he quickly headed off to school.

* * *

'Yuma's going to be late again…'

Kotori sighed in defeat as she looked at her watch.

'Don't worry about him!'

Testuo gave her a big smile.

'Yuma's always gonna be that way.'

She smiled back.

'That's right…that Yuma…he really is an idiot…'

She muttered the last sentence to herself.

* * *

'Whoa!'

He repeatedly apologised to the people he went rushing by.

'I'm going be so late!'

* * *

When he finally reached the classroom…

'You're late, Tsukumo Yuma!'

'Gah! I'm sorry, Sensei! Today…I woke up late!'

The whole class started laughing away, as usual as Ukyo sighed in defeat.

'Geez, Yuma! You're always late, y'know! Why don't you try waking up earlier the next time?!'

'Y-yeah, but…'

He started to drift off in thought solemnly as Tetsuo and Kotori looked at him with concern, getting to his seat.

'What's wrong?'

Tetsuo broke the silence after a long while as Yuma stared at him looking dazed.

'What is it?'

'"What is it?" What are you talking about?! Where's your usual cheerfulness? Your kattobingu! Did something happen?'

He lightly shook his head.

'It's nothing…it's just…'

'Yuma…'

Kotori started to worry for him even more than before as he started to chuckle away.

'It's nothing, don't worry about it!'

'All the more to worry about, Yuma!'

Tetsuo raised his voice in worry.

'I-I got to get nee-chan's items! See you then!'

He quickly raced out of the school, to not incarnate Akari's flames any further.

* * *

He took a white note in his hand, the list his sister needs, he wasn't lying about that. But he couldn't tell any of them about his problem at hand as he solemnly walked on as cars passed on the roads beside his walking path. Astral then started to materialise out of his Ou Key beside him as he floated away.

'What's wrong, Yuma?'

Yuma stopped in his tracks as his voice went soft.

'It's…nothing, Astral.'

'Your friends…they were worried. Is it a dream you had that's causing you problems?'

His fingers twitched involuntarily.

'I-It's not that. I've got to get nee-chan's items before she gets mad…'

And he walked on, not minding Astral's presence though. Although, he can't help worrying about Yuma's usual cheeriness. He respected his personal space, he wasn't going to invade it as he stayed silent for the rest of the trip.

* * *

'Tadaima.'

'Oh, Yuma, okaininasai.'

His grandmother, Haru, called out to him. Akari, who is doing her usual reporting work on the couch, Yuma passed the plastic bag to her as he walked over to her side from behind.

'Nee-chan, here.'

'Sankyuu, Yuma. How's your school today?'

'Fine.'

He walked away, changing to his home clothes, and heading to his hammock at the attic he always slept on. He lazily got up from the ladder, and lazily got on the hammock, thinking about something that preoccupied him. Haru and Akari noticed his strange behaviour on the way, but did not say anything, as they thought that he needed some space alone.

Yuma soon felt tired, and soon closed his eyes as he fell asleep.

* * *

'_ZEXAL…ZEXAL…ZEXAL!'_

Something chanted inside Yuma's mind, as he blocked his ears as much as he can with his two hands on each side, realising that he was in a red-filled space as he floated away, he desperately looked around for the source of the voice, but there was no one in sight, as his desperate attempts to stop himself from hearing the familiar voice was impossible.

He gasped and shot his eyes open wide, as the skies had already fallen to night time. He panted slightly, and Astral materialised out of the Ou Key.

'Yuma, are you okay?!'

'Y-yeah…'

'Yuma…'

'It's nothing.'

* * *

A young girl, her white pale eyes, green pigtails flowing freely in the wind, wearing a grey jacket hood and a small black skirt, looked on with a pair of binoculars straight ahead, at a certain individual.

'He…dreamt about _that_.'

She smirked to herself.

'Looks like I've found my plaything, after all.'

What she didn't know was that someone was staring straight _right_ at her.

* * *

'Yuma…someone is watching us.'

'Eh?'

Yuma started to get up and look through his windows, making the girl a swift retreat, as he didn't manage to see her at all.

'There's no one there.'

'But…there definitely _is_ someone watching us earlier.'

'You think?'

He got down from the hammock, and went down, just to see no lights on in the house. He walked around the dining area, only to find a meal prepared waiting for him. He smiled at this, and unwrapped the foil that was around it and started eating away.

* * *

'Maybe I should start using this…'

The girl held a half pair of a red contact lens in her two fingers, letting it gaze under the bright moon, smirking away.

'All for the sake…of our _Master_…'

* * *

It was a Sunday, and he didn't have to go to school today as he took a stroll outside his house, after he had ate his morning meal, of course, since Haru wouldn't want him to go hungry, it's her habit to see her grandson _at least_ eating something, rather than to go out empty stomached.

Astral soon materialized, and floated alongside Yuma.

* * *

'He's coming.'

The girl became all-giggly, and raised her hood, for _he_ is headed towards her direction. She somehow can't wait, can't wait_, can't wait…_

* * *

'And, also…Kotori once gave me a present when I was moody, and it really cheered me up!'

Yuma had stroke up a conversation with Astral, just to clear the mood air around him, and Yuma was grateful for that. Soon enough, Astral sensed something ominous, and raised his hand in defense and Yuma stopped in his tracks.

'What's wrong, Astral?'

He stared at what's in front of them. The girl Astral had seen last night. She held the half pair of red contact lens on her two fingers, with her face shielded from view. She lowered her hood, and smirked maliciously at Yuma, staring intensely at him.

Without warning, she immediately advanced, and pounded him down, pinning his body to the ground.

'Yuma!'

Astral cried out, but he knew very well that whatever he touches, he passes through them. He couldn't do anything but to watch as the ongoing scene ensued.

'Let me go! Who are you, anyway?!'

The girl used her knees on each side to pin his elbow, holding the half pair in hand, closer to his face as she lowered hers. Yuma sided his head, but she used her free hand to lock his face in position, rendering him immobile.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone around them, lucky for _her_, but unfortunately Yuma was rendered helpless in this state.

'_Hold still_.'

She hissed close to her face. Somehow, Yuma couldn't control his eyes, as she slowly, dramatically placed the half pair on her other hand to his left eye.

'_Utsukushii…_'

Astral had found himself, in complete, and utter despair, as all he could do was watched on. Once it was done, with some resistance from Yuma's eyes, trying to close but was futile, she released him and stood up, smirking to herself.

'_Mission, complete_.'

Yuma felt helpless, as something was placed onto his eye. He blinked once, only to find himself of in a different place than where he was earlier but recognised it in his dreams.

* * *

'_ZEXAL…ZEXAL…ZEXAL!_'

Again, he closed his eyes and wanted the voice inside him to go anyway. It was driving him crazy, almost to near insanity as he started to shout out.

'Stop it! Stop it, stop it! Shut up!'

But it chanted more and more, causing him to scream out from the top of his lungs.

Yuma stood up, his face void of a normal human, replaced with something evil tainted on his soul, as he smirked maliciously.

* * *

'Yuma!'

Astral called out to him, but all he could was stare at the girl as he went and look at her smirking evilly, shocked of himself. It was infuriating, unable to do anything, as one's best friend is changing, soon-to-be someone else.

Someone he doesn't know of.

'_Good._'

A dark portal-like appeared behind her, as the both of them slowly disappeared into it, the Ou Key dropped to the ground.

'Yuma!'

* * *

A girl, _almost_ identical to the green haired earlier, except with the difference of eyes, her hair laid down, her hue black, wore a blue tank top with a long beige skirt up to her ankle, listening to music away on her phone, earpiece attached to her ears, walked away on a quiet path as she hummed away the music she was listening to, until she saw something shiny just a distance before her as it glared due to the sun flaring out, and went over to pick it up.

'What's this? Looks like…some sort of key to it…'

She examined it, and found something special to it, as she held it in her free hand as she walked away.

She hummed along with the music, having found a bench to sit on, as she then examined the key-like accessory in her hand.

'It's pretty…'

She then looked around cautiously, as if watching out for something, but never happened. She sighed in relief, and proceeded to catch some nap as she laid herself into a sleeping position, and closed her eyes, drifting off to her nap.

* * *

She opened her eyes, and found herself in a different space than where she was taking a nap earlier. She floated as she took in the surroundings, surveying at where she could be now.

'_Who…are you? What have you done to Yuma?!_'

The voice boomed around her, but she wasn't afraid of it somehow, as she had experienced it before. She closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled before she started to speak to the voice belonging to as it quivered with anger and fear.

'You don't need to be afraid, it's okay, I mean you no harm, and I assure you. I am just merely a wanderer, in search of someone to find _myself_.'

She spoke in kind, cryptic words and softly as her voice echoed out around the space. The voice did not speak back to her, and when she opened her eyes again, night time fell, and she sat up, stretching her legs and arms as she held back a yawn. She looked at the Ou Key, feeling the voice hand belonged the owner inside of it.

'I cannot tell you my name, but…if you _had met her_…'

_The game has already begun._

* * *

A mysterious person, cloaked fully, the face unable to be seen at all, shielded with a taunting mask as this person was tapping the fingers, as if waiting for something this person desired, and was apparently waiting impatiently as soon the hands were clenched to a fist.

'Hurry up! Isn't _he_ going to be brought to me?! What are you idiots even doing?!'

In a flash, someone, fully cloaked, appeared before their Master.

'Forgive me, he's still resisting the power we needed of him to–'

'Enough of your excuses! Bring him to me, now!'

'H-hai!'

That someone disappeared in an instant, and another one appeared alongside soon after, with Yuma in the other's hands. He was then tossed forward, as he hit the ground with a thud, regaining conscious soon after.

* * *

Yuma slowly opened his eyes, and blinked several times to clear his vision.

'Get up!'

He flinched; he felt his body involuntarily moving by itself, as it obeyed the command given.

'W-where is…gah!'

He felt deep pain from where his heart is, as he couldn't fight it, his hands clutched to it, and cried out shouts of pain.

'You will only obey me, and _only_ me, do you understand that, Tsukumo Yuma?!'

'W-wait…how…d-did you know…m-my name?'

'That doesn't matter!'

Master was about to get up, but then was stopped by someone beside him, appearing instantly.

'Master, he's not worth your time, I assure you. He needs to be strictly disciplined to stand before you, before this very throne of yours!'

'Val…what are you _implying_ here?'

Val did not falter under Master's gaze, despite the face covered with a mask. This person was too, fully cloaked and masked.

'To stand before your presence, I believe behavioural change _is_ needed from him. And _pain_, would be suitably able to teach him, in the worst ways possible, should _he_ resist.'

'…very well then. I wish to have a talk with _him_, _alone_.'

The three complied, and made their leave by disappearing on the spot.

* * *

'Val…why did you cut Master's talk for?! Don't you know that–'

'I know. You shouldn't worry so much about me, Dyo. Or do _I _sense concern in you? Your being of _once_ human, that is?'

Dyo clenched his fists, but his anger took to the top in an instant.

'What do you know about me?! You lived your own, I lived my own, so what does that makes _you_…superior to me?! Besides that, _I_ have lived _here_ longer than you did!'

Val's voice went dangerously low.

'So _what_? It's not like you _knew_ mine! You freaking sick pessimist! You will never best _me_!'

'Says the person who _has_ been defeated a number of times I couldn't count!'

'Why _you! _That's it! You're on!'

'Fine with me!'

They got ready their duel disks, and prepared to battle against themselves as they drew their cards.

'DUEL!'

* * *

Astral floated alongside the girl, being overly cautious of her. He somehow knew the difference about this girl and the one he'd encountered earlier. But…

The girl held the key accessory in hand, and clutched it soon after as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled soon after, before opening them again. She became lost in thought soon after, while watching the bright blue skies from above.

'I don't know if you can hear me, but…I'll say this…don't hurt whoever you have caught! Mark my words!'

Astral was startled at who she spoke about. Who was she talking about, thoughts were running around his head as he could come to only one possibility.

_That identical girl…_

* * *

She sat in a café, a cup of tea sitting in front of her as she ordered the only item, placing her fingers on the handle, looking at her own reflection through the tea.

'How long more…?'

She stared solemnly, as she began to lose in thought, looking up at the skies through the café window beside her soon after.

'I…can't wait, anymore…'

She closed her eyes, looking back into the past, where her own voice echoes to the vow she made to someone.

'_Let's finish this, once and for all!_'

A sigh escaped her lips, and she placed a handful lot of money for the tea, and got out of the café soon after.

* * *

'Huh?'

She somehow felt a tug, and followed along as something pulled her towards the source from.

Soon after that, to her horror, she took a stance out of instinct, something she had felt for quite long in her years, and sped off to the opposite direction, running away as fast as she could, fear running through her veins.

Astral wondered why she was running away as he looked on behind her, sensing something of a wicked malice coming her way. It's no wonder she had to run off from it. But why, Astral thought. It soon got closer, and the sensation he'd felt became stronger, as if he could run and quiver to a corner at top speed without stopping.

'No…no…no!'

She stopped in her heels and spun around, preparing to meet her maker.

'That's it! I'm through running away! Come at me with what you have…you…!'

The cloaked person advanced nearer and nearer into one's prey, smirking away as the person found _her_.

_Finally…_

The person thought, as the person soon stopped, revealing a duel disk in left arm, slightly bulky, a spiky design, characteristically to the personality. The person then uncloaked, revealing a slightly bulky guy standing before them.

'I've been waiting for you! You'd better be a good girl and surrender yourself!'

'No way!'

She spat angrily.

'I'm tired of your games! I just want this to end peacefully! Why can't this ever be achieved?!'

'Because you very know what will happen if it did! You won't forever be at peace this way! It's what _Master_ thinks of, after all! You can't handle by yourself without your other half!'

Astral was thrown to sudden confusion. He had no absolute clue to what they were talking about. In the midst, she subconsciously clutched the Ou Key that's on her hand the whole time, and soon enough…

…they initiated a duel, her duel disk revealing on her right arm, curved, and slight crystals embed on the sides of the duel disk.

'You will be the one that's going down! And I can very well take care of _my_ own, thank you very much!'

'DUEL!'

[Both LP: 4000]

'Ladies can go first!'

With a smug on his face, she dangerously narrowed eyes at him.

'I'll take up on your offer then! Atashi no turn! Draw!'

She drew her card gracefully and added it to her hand, not giving a second glance at the card she'd drawn.

'I play the spell card, **Terraforming**! This lets me add one Field Spell Card from my deck to my hand!'

The spell card, **Terraforming**, revealed itself to her opponent after she held the actual card to him, disappearing after she speaks finished, drawing the topmost card on her deck, which coincidentally revealed to be a Field Spell Card, intending on activating on the same turn.

'I activate **A Legendary Ocean**! While this card's treated as "Umi", it can reduce the level all of our WATER attribute monsters in our hands and on the field by one. All WATER monsters gain 200 both attack and defense!'

Water surrounded them whole, followed by castle-like buildings, appearing and surrounding them whole, life-like fishes swimming around _way_ above them.

'Next, I summon **Atlantean Heavy Infantry** in defense position!' [Attack: 200|Defense: 1800]

A fish warrior-like appeared as she literally slapped the card onto her Duel Disk, revealing to wear fish-like armour, with each side holding a half of a whole of what seems to be like a fish shield. It crossed its arms, signifying its defense side.

'I end my turn like this!' [Hand Cards: 3]

The girl proudly proclaimed, her glares unwavering towards her opponent, her lips turning to a smile, but her opponent's face tells her otherwise, as her smile turned to a scowl instead.

'What's so funny?!'

'Oh, nothing…that's…the Legendary Ou Key hanging around your neck now, isn't it?'

He spoke rather casually, pointing to the very golden-shaped key itself at her side.

'The Ou Key? …I've heard of it.'

She straightened up, clutching the Ou Key, still focusing her glares onto his. She now realised this was the fabled "Ou Key", but it didn't faze her all the while.

'It's said that a human of immeasurable powers dwelling within one's heart, is able to wield its hidden deep secrets in place, but what of it?!'

She shouted at the last part in raw anger boiling in her dark depths of her soul, but she had to contain this said dark, for it has the potential to be lethal, calming her composure, breathing in and out to clear the air in her clouded mind. She couldn't exactly handle her anger without her other half, after all.

'And the only person with the potential to wield it…also obtains this too! Ore no turn!'

The bulky guy draws his card rather harshly, and he too, didn't bother to look at the card he draw either, smirking away as if victory has been claimed on his side.

'I activate from my hand, **Card Trader**! During my standby phase, once per turn, I can shuffle one card from my hand to the Deck, allowing me to draw one card in place!'

The **Card Trader **revealed itself as he placed it in the Spell/Trap Card Zone, a man revealing to be having a rather sinister face, wearing mechanic-like to hide the part of its face, wearing a top hat and fully cloaked, only hands revealing themselves placed one of his cards in his current hand to his Deck, shuffling by itself as it shortly stopped, drawing the topmost card yet again. This time, he looked at it, his smirk turning more widely.

'I summon **Lord of D.**!'

Like her, he slapped his monster card down onto the Duel Disk, the Monster Zone, revealing a Dragon-like person with skull armours, cloaked with a blue cape, and imitating the hands of one a zombie. [Attack: 1200|Defense: 1100]

'And _next_, I activate **The Flute of Summoning Dragon**! I can special summon up to 2 Dragon-Type monsters from my hand, provided that **Lord of D.** is on the field!'

Rising one of his cards in his hand up high, he slapped it onto the Monster Zone as if expressing his rage.

'I special summon **The White Stone of Legend**!'

The card revealed itself, as a white shining stone. [Tuner – Attack: 300|Defense: 250]

'And I perform…a Synchro Summon!'

As if on cue, **Lord of D.** and **The White Stone of Legend** went and soared up high, with the **The** **White Stone of Legend **turning into a green-like wheel, as it enveloped **Lord of D**. itself, turning the monster into of transparency.

'Those who bear the sharp fangs to tear enemies apart, show your mightiest true form! Synchro Summon!'

Out of the flaring light it gave, there revealed a humanoid person, cladded in armour-plated whole except for the face itself, its arms and legs showing a form of a bird's skin with wings, one that included its back, showing off proudly as it beautifully descended to the battlefield with a steel-like sword with a bird-designed hilt on its hand.

'**Blackwing - Gram the Shining Star**!' [Synchro Level 5 – Attack: 2200|Defense: 1500]

_This could be bad…_

She clenched her teeth, though she didn't show it visibly.

'And due to **The White Stone of Legend**'s effect, when this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can add **Blue-Eyes White Dragon **to my hand.'

At the Deck itself, a card was pulled out by itself, adding it to his current hand.

'And **Gram**'s effect kicks in! When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower non-Tuner "Blackwing" from my hand! It's effects are negated though.'

Slapping another Monster Card, it revealed itself to be a big bird of humanoid figure, standing proudly on its two legs, its black wings spreading long and wide.

'**Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame**!' [Attack: 1800|Defense: 1200]

She stood firm, despite being outnumbered with monsters, but stayed puts on her poker face, nonetheless. The bulky guy then pointed over to her one and only monster on the field.

'Battle phase! **Gram**, attack her puny monster!'

As he commanded, **Gram** readied his sword, and slashed across **Atlantean Heavy Infantry**. Although it was in defense position, her Life Points wouldn't be deducted this way, but still, she can't afford to relax just yet.

'Next, direct attack on _you_!'

**Shura** took action this time, casting its fierce gust of wind using its wings towards her side, causing her to yelp slightly at the impact, as she re-composed herself. [Girl: 2200]

'You'd better give up right here _and_ now, Slyza!' [Hand Cards: 3]

Now Astral found out her name – or at least, could be her name anyway.

'Slyza?'

He repeated, causing Slyza to smile instead, managing to hear _his_ voice, but didn't know exactly the name of it belonging to, but she didn't mind it at all.

'I'll carry on _that_ legacy, be it dark _or_ light! I'm setting this balance back, right to where it all started!'

* * *

[Somewhere Else]

An evil laughter filled throughout the air, beunknownst to Astral himself, planning for a wretched plot to crush Astral's entity in itself, as usual, but only that, _he_ has found a way, _a perfect way_ to not let anybody in his way _yet_ again. For his plot to be foiled again and _yet_ again, he has found a perfect solution this time.

But first, Black Mist had to take action somewhere else. Of course, being a shard of Don Thousand's, he has gained the power to move through dimensions by himself, opening a _very_ eerie dark portal, heading inside rather casually, preparing to be ready for anything.

* * *

**...this was something I've been working on waaaaaaay back, so this is something like what you would call, an OVA-like.**

**But anyway, I _might_ plan this whole shiz out and turn it into a story instead, but to be honest, I _really_ suck at doing the Duel part, but if it was laid out somehow, it would look something like this, and honestly, title's like a working production, so I'm not sure how it'll turn out altogether.**

**BUT!**

**If you'd like, OR EVEN be interested in THIS VERY IDEA, go ahead! THE. WHOLE. IDEA'S.**

**YOOOOOOOOOURS. :D**

**Then I'll be looking forward to your awesome dedication fer. DIS. c:**

**Welp, if not, hope you enjoyed this very idea of mine, but I'm not all-set into doing this just yet. :/**

**I still got mah ON-GOING Selfie-sert story AT. THE. Moment. c:**


End file.
